Doc Martin Takes a Holiday
by Chiocciola
Summary: What happens when Britain's grumpiest GP is persuaded to take a family holiday to the Happiest place on Earth? Will the Doc let loose or will this be a holiday worth forgetting?
1. Chapter 1

Author's Notes

This is my first actual Doc Martin story being published, so please be kind. I have three other, more "traditional" stories in progress, but this one proved to be a nice break from writing the other's, and well, it was just a lot of fun to do.

Most importantly, please forgive the silliness of this story. It's all in good fun and meant to provoke a laugh.

Thank you to my Beta Reader jd517 for providing comments and revisions and giving me the confidence to know that I haven't gone completely bodmin coming up with this idea…at least not yet.

*Disclaimer - Doc Martin is the property of Buffalo Pictures. Everything associated with Disney World is the property of The Walt Disney World Company.

*I do not own Doc Martin nor do I own Disney World, although I would really love to have them both!

**Chapter 1 - Persuasion**

Afternoon surgery was busy as usual. I had treated all of four actual medical conditions since lunch. There was a fractured wrist, a case of gout, a herniated disc and a follow up for a repeat prescription. It was hardly rocket science, but at least I had managed another day without some sort infectious disease ravishing the village like the plague. The rest of them were all malingerers, general time wasters, and those hell bent on getting information about my private life. Honestly, you would think after a decade in this village they would relent or lose interest, but no. Apparently the longer you're here, the more they want to know. Bugger.

My day got better, as it always does, when Louisa and James returned home from school. I heard them come in through the kitchen as I escorted a patient out of my consulting room. I made my way to greet them and couldn't help noticing that they had both carelessly dropped their bags on the floor. James ran up to me first yelling "Hi Daddy" and jumped into my arms for a hug. I always loved when he did this. I may not be the most outwardly affectionate person in the world but I really loved having the father/ son bond that James and I shared. It did however; make me a little sad to see that he was growing up so fast. Soon these displays of affection would become less and less frequent. "Hello James." I replied as I held him with Louisa coming up to me next. "Hello Martin." She said as we gave each other a quick peck on the lips. "How was your day?"

"Same as usual. A few actual medical conditions sparsely thrown between hordes of time wasters looking for a sick note. How was yours?"

"Good! Busy though. But then the first week of school is always crazy and hectic, so I guess it's to be expected. Speaking of which, James shouldn't you be working on those worksheets you have for homework?"

James rested his head on my shoulder with a look of exasperation on his face.

"But Mum, I just got home from school? Can't I wait till later?"

"No mister, so get going. We both know that you won't want to do it later either. Just think; the sooner you do it now, the more time you'll have to play after you've finished."

James looked back to me hoping I would say something different.

"Sorry young man, but your Mum is right. So get going."

James let out a long sigh before I put him down. "Fine." He muttered as he walked away.

"Martin, how about I get dinner started while you go finish with your patients. Fish stew alright? " Louisa asked.

"Yes, that would be fine. I'll just go finish up then."

"Okay."

As I walked back to my consultation room, I couldn't help but look back to the two people I loved most, going about their everyday business. I couldn't stop the smile that crept across my face. Never in a million years would I have ever thought that this is how my life would end up…and for once I was incredibly grateful. My life now was a million times better than anything I would have ever expected for myself. Turns out married and family life agreed with me, quite well in fact. Who would have thought?

**XXXX**

After we had finished dinner, James insisted that the three of us watch some mindless television program with him before he went off to bed. I was a bit less than thrilled with his choice of _Phineas and Ferb_ but I participated nonetheless; however, I would most certainly be reviewing the educational content of all the shows he watched when I got a chance. Afterwards Louisa brought him upstairs and got him ready for bed while I cleaned up around the kitchen and did the washing up. A little while later Louisa came back down and asked me a question.

"Martin, when was the last time you went on holiday?"

"Hmm?" I couldn't help but look at Louisa with a puzzled look on my face.

"A holiday, you know, time away. Haven't you ever taken a trip somewhere before? Gone off to relax or see some sights? And our honeymoon doesn't count."

"Why doesn't it count? We went to Spain, didn't we?"

"Well yes, but it was only for a long weekend and, if you recall, we didn't actually see too many sights, did we?" Louisa looked at me with a cheeky look on her face as I recalled the events of that weekend. As far as I was concerned, I had seen all the sights I cared to see and I didn't have to leave the hotel room once. I didn't care what Spain looked like. And based on Louisa's actions that weekend, I knew for certain she didn't care either. I ignored the cheeky little grin that appeared on my face but I was pretty certain I had turned a nice shade of red by now. Louisa of course took notice.

"Hmm, exactly. So when _was_ the last time you took a trip?"

"Well, I've traveled yes, but never for leisure if that's what you mean."

"Of course that's what I mean. And why haven't you?"

"Louisa, I think you know that's not my sort of thing. I can't see the point of wasting time just idly lying about catching melanoma from sunbathing or waddling around with a camera around my neck, gawping at odd rock formations or big holes in the ground like some sort of blithering idiot."

As I tried to explain this to Louisa, I knew it wasn't doing any good because she just stood there rolling her eyes. But I just couldn't understand the perverse pleasure that people took in going on holiday. What was the point? Personally, I would be perfectly relaxed and happy if only the denizens of this village would learn about proper hygiene, have a bath once in a while and leave me in peace every now and again. But that was a long shot.

"Why are you asking all of this anyway?" I dared to ask.

"Well, it's just that I saw Roger Fenn at school today and he was going on and on about how he and Maureen took the twins to Disneyland Paris over the summer break and how much they all loved it. He said that if we ever got a chance that we should do the same. And I think he's right. Plus it would be a great way for us to make some memories as well."

"Hmm. You don't expect me to go to Disneyland Paris, do you? That would be horrid."

"…Not exactly, but I do think we should go on a holiday, as a family. James just turned seven and he's barely been anywhere outside of Truro. I think it would be good for him to start seeing new places and experience different things." As she spoke, she came up to me and wrapped her arms around my waist, pulling me into an embrace. As much as I loved her doing it, I knew full well what she was up to. "And I think it would be good for us to get out of Portwenn for little while as well, don't you?" Yep, I was right. Good old feminine persuasion. A technique Louisa knew I was always unable to resist. If she kept this up, I would be putty in her hands, and she knew it. Damn.

"I suppose it could be nice to get away with you and James Henry for a bit. But exactly what kind of trip are you thinking of? Don't these things require some sort of planning? And when would we go? You and James have school and I would need to rearrange my surgery schedule."

"Of course they require planning, you can't just show up. And I was thinking we could go during the spring half term. We would be out of school; it would give you plenty of time to sort out your schedule or arrange for a locum and we would still have plenty of time to make arrangements. And since it would be February, I was thinking we could actually go someplace warm. Oh don't give me that look. I won't forget to pack your sunblock, don't worry. SPF 200 right?"

This was starting to sound like quite a large undertaking, more than I was willing accept. And no doubt this would be a disruption to my routine, but actually, if I was honest, the more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea of getting away from the village for a little while. So maybe the idea of a family holiday wasn't such a bad one after all. And anyway, at least I would have Louisa and James Henry along with me. That fact alone was enough to make anything sound decent.

"Alright then. I guess it's not a bad idea. Just as long as it's somewhere we both agree on and obviously it has to be someplace age appropriate for James."

"Yes well, actually I um…I already had a place in mind."

Louisa just stared at me, biting her bottom lip and wringing her hands. Whatever she was thinking was obviously some place I wouldn't be too keen on. I furrowed my brow waiting for an answer. Finally she said it.

"I was thinking maybe we could go to Walt Disney World?"

"…WHAT?"

To be continued…


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 – A Horrible Realization**

"…WHAT? You can't be serious?"

The look of shock and horror on my face must have been my best one yet; or at least it felt that way. After being with Louisa all these years, I'd learned that there were times when she knew me better than I did myself… apparently this wasn't one of them. I was seriously hoping she was just being silly.

I couldn't begin to fathom a worse thought than taking a trip to Disney World. The juvenile atmosphere, the sing-song-y music, the rubbish food; and oh God, there were rides...Flying Dumbo's and Spinning Teacups. The thought alone was enough to make my gorge rise. Then there was the thought of costumed characters running up and trying to attack me for a hug. Ugh, that was enough to make the bile come to top of my throat. It was like some sort of freakish hell - the stuff horror movies were made of. No, surely Louisa knew me better than that.

"Martin, before you give yourself a heart attack, why don't you just hear me out first?"

"Louisa, are you ill?"

"…what?"

"Are you sure that you're not experiencing some sort of high degree fever, because you're obviously showing signs of delirium with a suggestion like that."

"No, I'm perfectly fine, thank you. So please, just listen." She rolled her eyes first and then stared at me intently. Good God, she was serious!

I've endured some horrible things throughout my life, but I had finally been able rid myself of much of the misery thanks in no small part to Louisa. It was also because of her that I had been able to overcome my hemaphobia once and for all. Now it seemed like she was trying to return me to my miserable state. I certainly hadn't thought there could be a worse prospect than a surgeon developing a blood phobia, but this; this was shaping up to be just as ghastly. I was almost certain if I had to make a choice between the blood thing and a trip to Disney World, I would probably take the hemaphobia.

"Louisa, I said Disneyland Paris would be horrid. What on earth makes you think that Disney _World_ would be any better?"

"Because Martin, it's exactly that; it's a fun little world of its own. There's no other place like it anywhere. And you and I both know that James Henry would absolutely love it."

"So? I'm sure he would love it if he could just sit in front of the television all day and eat rubbish, but it doesn't mean that I'd let him do it. Louisa, the idea was to take a 'family' holiday, not a 'James Henry' holiday."

"But it would be a family holiday."

"Yes, but not by any means a pleasurable one. And it's all the way in America! In…I don't know…Florida, is it not? Isn't that state just one big swamp?"

"Martin…"

"It's hot and humid; there are all sorts of insidious creatures lurking about, spewing venom and eating whatever is in sight…and those are just the bloody Americans! What about the actual reptiles and such that crawl about everywhere? Oh, but then again, maybe I'm wrong. Who wouldn't consider the perfect holiday to be one where you get eaten by a crocodile?"

"Martin! You're being horrible! As well as unreasonable."

"No I'm not!"

"Yes, you are! And Florida is not just one big swamp, as you _so delicately_ put it. It's actually one of the top travel destinations in the world."

"Oh, well then…" Now it was my turn to be sarcastic.

"Martin, first of all, you need to calm down and stop shouting. You'll only wake up James. Second, why can't we at least discuss this like adults, rather than like one adult and a child throwing a temper tantrum?"

"No, Louisa, there is nothing to discuss! I refuse to go anywhere that's just a gathering place for bratty obnoxious little children and their inept parents who think mindless nonsense, terrible food, and sweltering heat are the fun way to spend a holiday."

"But that's the great thing about it. It's a place _for_ families, meaning that it caters to both children _and_ adults."

"Louisa, I highly doubt there is any place within the confines of Walt Disney World that one would consider dignified."

"Of course there is. Do you honestly think that you would be the only one who needs a break from over-excited children constantly running about. There are plenty of places where you can go that are for adults only, meaning _no children allowed_. There are restaurants, lounges, leisure areas; all places where you can go for a little while and quiet that extraordinary yet ridiculously stubborn mind of yours, hmm?"

"No, absolutely not. There are plenty of other places we can go that are perfectly suitable for both us and James. Preferably, places that do not require us to partake in the puerile claptrap associated with vulgar American theme parks. "

"Oh, you are hopeless. Believe it or not, I really do think that this is the best option for us."

"Oh, do you? And how do you figure that?"

"Martin, look, the fact is this: James is the perfect age for a trip like this. Right now his imagination is still wild and creative and he still believes in the innocence of all these stories and fairytales. But Martin, he is growing up, and soon enough he's not going to believe in these things like he does now. And things will change as he gets older and becomes more independent, and I know sometimes that hurts you to think about. I see it in your eyes all the time. You think the older he gets, the less he'll need you. But that couldn't be farther from the truth. Things will just be different. But by then we'll be able to do things and go places with him that are more mature and obviously more enjoyable for you. But right now, he is only going to be this age once and it will go by as quick as a flash. So why can't we all just enjoy it now while we can?"

I felt my face soften as I listened to her words. I knew she was right. I did sadden at times as I watched James grow up because it seemed like time was passing all too fast. But I loved seeing the transformation in him nonetheless. I loved that he was so intelligent and inquisitive; and as surreal as it was at times, I loved seeing some of myself in another little person. At the same time I loved seeing so much of Louisa in him as well. He was happy and energetic and loved to laugh. He was also incredibly fortunate to have inherited the same bright beautiful smile as his mother. At that moment, an incredible surge of love for both of them washed over me and I knew I would do anything to make them happy, because as long as they were happy, my life was perfect.

"So, will you at least think it over, please?"

"Oh Louisa…NO!"

**XXXX**

Although our conversation earlier in the week had not exactly gone well, I was more than happy when Louisa finally relented and agreed to give up on the idea of this stupid trip to Disney World. As much as I loved her and James, I did have my limits. She had been a bit distant the past few days and I could see that she was upset by my decision. So, for their sake, but mostly my own, I was willing to compromise. I still agreed to the holiday away, just as long as it was something more suitable for the three of us; and by three, I meant me. Louisa suggested that not only would she look for alternative locations, but that I had too as well. I knew nothing about planning a holiday that would be suitable for families, but if it meant the opportunity to actually go someplace decent, I was more than happy to do a bit of research.

I wasn't too keen on traveling a great distance, even though Louisa seemed to think otherwise. But nonetheless, I focused my attention on locations within the UK or at least somewhere this side of the continent. I had spent the last few days researching different places while the surgery was closed for lunch. It was one of the few times during the day I could actually get work done without being disturbed by irritating patients…or receptionist for that matter. It wasn't long before I realized I really had no idea what to look for, but I figured as long as I found it to be acceptable and it would no doubt hold James Henry's interest, it would be alright. Finally, I had compiled what I considered to be a rather satisfactory list. Now all I had to do was wait and see what Louisa had come up with.

Later that evening, after James had gone off to bed, Louisa and I decided to sit down and compare notes. It seemed that we were both intent on getting what we wanted because we both had stacks of printouts and pictures of the all places we thought best.

"Alright Martin, you first." She started.

I handed her my papers and watched her leaf through them slowly. She seemed to be reading all my notes and looked carefully at the pictures, but the whole time I was unable to gage her reactions. After a while, she finally dropped them on the table, leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. She stare at me with a look which I wasn't sure if it came from happiness, disgust or anger. I sat and waited for her to respond.

"Well, I do have to give you some credit." She began. "You did actually come up with some well thought out places and I'm sure James would enjoy them as well. But I couldn't help notice that…all of them really aren't that far away. I mean, as good as they may be, they're all places where we can go for a long weekend." She leaned forward on the table and place one of her hands on mine. "Don't get me wrong; we can certainly go to these places anytime we want. We can do all of them if you want, but I really want this to be a proper holiday."

"Well what on Earth are you thinking of? Let's have a look at your suggestions then."

She handed me her stack of papers. As I looked through them, I realized that she was serious about a big trip somewhere. The first on her list was Caribbean cruise - That was an automatic no. Next were the cities of both Rome and Paris – That was a maybe. But then there were places like the Grand Canyon, Washington D.C., and New York City. What her fascination with America seemed to be, I couldn't understand, but I wasn't interested. As I looked over to where she was sitting, I noticed at quick glance that there was another folder on the table, hidden beneath her arms.

"What's in that one?" I asked pointing to the folder.

"What one?"

"That folder just there." I said pointing again. "The one you're trying to hide."

"Oh, this one? Oh, I'll tell you later. First, tell me what you think of those." She nodded her head towards the papers in front of me.

"Not until you tell me what's in there." I said rather cheekily. She was up to something again. I could sense it. What horrors could she have in store this time?

She stared me down for a long minute, and then very hesitantly slid the folder towards me. Before I could get hold of it, she snatched it back.

"Will you at least promise to look at it with and open mind?"

"That depends on what it is, so why don't you let me see it?" She finally handed me the folder. Imagine my horror when I opened it to see that it was about that blasted Disney World yet again.

"Oh Louisa, I thought we settled this?"

"Yes, yes, I know. But I couldn't help looking through the website and getting some information. I was hoping that maybe, just maybe, I could prove to you that it won't be as horrible as you think."

"Louisa, I made myself _abundantly_ clear that this was NOT where I wanted to go. Why can't you move on from this?"

"Martin, I know how you feel, but let me just show you what's actually there." She came and sat close next to me and began pointing to all sorts of pictures. There was nothing she could show me that would be enough to make me change my mind, so I figured I would just let her say her piece…then say no again. Maybe then she would give up. And with that she began. "Yes, there is The Magic Kingdom which is all about characters and fairytales and such. But look here," She pointed to a picture of a large geodesic globe, "there's EPCOT, which is all about innovation and invention and the future of technology. Surely, that would interest both you and James, no? Then look here," She pointed to another picture where Norway seeming strikingly close to China. "there's the World Showcase. James can experience the cultures from eleven different countries and he can do it all in an afternoon." Next she pointed to a picture of a big tree. "Then there's Animal Kingdom. James loves animals, right? But heaven forbid you let him touch one. Here he can learn about all sorts of wild animals and get amazingly close to them without actually coming into contact with them. And this is just the beginning of it Martin. Look at these hotels. There are over twenty of them to choose from and some of them are the epitome of luxury. And another thing; we don't even have to do the parks every day. For instance, there's Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center nearby. What's more educational than that? I mean, we may even get to see a rocket launch. Martin, please… please can you just think about it? You may think all this is ridiculous, but believe me when I say that I wouldn't have suggested it if I didn't think it was a good idea. So will you please think it over?"

It was at that moment that I had the horrible realization that this decision seemed to have already been made. I'd always trusted Louisa's judgment in the past and I suppose I was going to have to trust her judgment on this as well. And I knew Louisa well enough to know that when she was persistent in something, she wouldn't stop until she achieved it...or at least made her point, and this was no different.

I was going to Disney World, whether I liked it or not.

_To be continued…_


	3. Chapter 3

**Please forgive my extreme tardiness in posting new chapters. I promise I haven't forgotten. I've just been bit busier than I expected. But I thank you for your patience nonetheless!**

**Chapter 3– I'd Rather Have the Coal**

Surgery had become even more tiring and hectic now that school had been in session for several weeks. Since all children were naturally disgusting around one another, there was an influx of both students and teachers coming in on a daily basis, displaying all sorts of illnesses they had decided to share amongst each other. It was only October, but as is the way in Portwenn, or simply as my luck would have it, cold and flu season seemed to have arrived early this year.

Despite my best efforts, even James Henry had come down with the flu and ended up spending a good portion of the week home in bed. Normally, Louisa was the one who would stay home and look after James whenever he was sick, but this time as she was busy with school, I was landed with the impractical responsibility of not only caring for my own sick child, but at the same time seeing to a full list of patients.

I'd managed to keep things in control for the first few days. Because James was running a fever, he mostly slept throughout the day. I went up to check on him regularly, but every now and then, he would muster up some energy to come downstairs, lie on the sofa and watch a bit of television. However it wasn't long before he would fall right back to sleep again.

By mid-week, James was feeling a bit better but he was still weak and slept often. His appetite was returning however, and he was also able to catch up on some of the homework that Louisa had left for him. But by the end of the week, my head was spinning. James was starting to feel better which was good, but it also meant that his energy levels were climbing back to normal, leaving me with a fidgety seven year-old running around the house looking for things to do. In addition, the amount of idiotic patients coming in was more than usual; all of them insisting they knew better as to what treatments they needed. And to top it all off, Morwenna was out sick herself for two days which left me with utter disarray in the waiting room and forced me to handle reception duties as well.

To say that I was more than happy that next week was half term was an understatement. Not only would Louisa and James be home to rest and recuperate, but so would everyone else. And most of them were already armed with prescriptions for antibiotics. I could only hope that it would be enough to calm things down a bit.

Despite the mind numbing chaos, there was still an upside to things being so busy, and it was that I really didn't have all that much time to think about the trip. Deep down, I was hoping that if I ignored it enough, it would just somehow go away. Even if past experience dictated it was impossible, it was something I still wanted to believe.

But of course, I was wrong and Louisa wasted no time in sorting out the arrangements. She spent the good portion of a week on the computer, reading reviews, looking at pictures and getting all sorts of ideas. Every now and again she would ask what I thought about something or try to get my input, but I was less than interested. As far as I was concerned, there was nothing there that would meet with my approval, so I simply left it to Louisa to figure out. My only request was that we stay some place clean and find at least one restaurant that served food of some nutritional value. She did however, leave me with one task and that was simply to arrange a passport for James. That, I could handle.

We also had to be careful not to say anything about the trip around James Henry, as Louisa wanted to keep it a surprise for him until Christmas. I had no problem with this whatsoever. Louisa may have wanted to keep it a secret from James but I wanted to keep it a secret from everyone else.

A few weeks later, Dave the postman unceremoniously came into the surgery just as I was chasing another satisfied customer out of my consulting room. I was seriously considering have a sign made that said "Antibiotics don't work on Viruses", but then I thought, why bother? Half the village probably couldn't read it anyway.

"Mornin' Doc!" Dave said rather cheerfully as he handed me a large and hefty packet. I responded with my usual grunt and took the package without glancing at it.

"Planning a holiday then?" he asked loudly with a waiting room full of patients listening on. Of course that was enough to pique everyone's interest and automatically, all eyes were on me waiting for an answer.

"What?" I was hoping the fear on my face didn't show. How could he have possibly known?

"That packet there," he nodded, "I just noticed it's got a little Disney World logo on the front. Takin' the family then are ya?" he finished with a smirk.

"Wha..? No!"

"Disney World! Oh, I wanna go! Can I come with you Doc?" Morwenna asked with an annoying, pleading whine.

"No! There is no trip!"

Regardless of how many times I said no, the wheel on the gossip mill had started turning full force. So much for the laws of confidentiality. Dave was notorious for making village gossip spread like wildfire and now he had just lit the match.

"Oh how lovely! I'm sure James Henry is going to love it!" chirped Mrs. Cavill.

Mr. Rowe chimed in as well. "And sparing no expense, ay Doc? Going all the way to America when you could just go to that EuroDisney?" What an eighty four year old knew about EuroDisney baffled me completely.

Meanwhile two other women who looked vaguely familiar sat huddled together gossiping amongst themselves. "Fancy him going to Disney World. Must have been Louisa's idea." "I know, who would have ever thought. Can you imagine the old tosser in Disney World? Seems fatherhood's made him all soft." The last remark provoked some not-so-subtle giggling between the two. Imbeciles.

I was losing what little patience I had left. I had to put an end to this before the whole village found out. There was no way I could take another three months of banter and chortling at my expense. It's not that I hadn't become accustomed to it over the years, but for once, Louisa and I were no longer the main topic of conversation for the entire population of Portwenn. And I wanted it to stay that way.

"Would you all just shut up! There is no holiday, we're not going to Disney World and in any case, it's none of your bloody business!"

"Well, what's in the packet?" asked Dave, clearly intent on finding _something_ he could go and tell the rest of the village. But no way was I going to give him the satisfaction.

"What part of 'none of your business' do you not understand?"

"Oh, I see. It's a surprise then, is it?"

"No! There is no trip! They're just some items Louisa got James for Christmas…_If_ _you must_ _know_. Now will you leave?"

"So you're not going to Disney World then?" There was a clear look of disappointment on his face, so I was hoping I had succeeded in throwing him off.

"No! Go away!" With that I stormed off towards my consulting room yelling "Next Patient!"

**XXXX**

I took the packet with me into my consulting room and tossed it on my desk. Sure enough, on the top left corner, there was the emblem bearing Walt Disney World Resorts. The damn thing was already causing me stress. I looked a little lower and I noticed that it was addressed to The Ellingham Family. God did I love the sound of that. It's not often that things come addressed to all three of us, except for maybe a few cards at Christmas, but it was something I never got tired of seeing.

Suddenly, the door flew open and I pulled was pulled from my thoughts as the next patient came in. I quickly hid the package in my bottom desk draw and went on with my day. Out of sight, out of mind. If only that were the case.

All morning long, the contents of that package weighed on my mind, serving as a constant reminder of the doom that was awaiting me. It wasn't until after lunch that I mustered up the courage to see what was inside. I went back and retrieved the package from its hiding spot. The surgery was quiet and Morwenna wouldn't be back until 1:30, so I had some time to myself. I ripped it open and pulled out a light blue folder that must have been an inch thick and weighed at least a pound and half. On the cover was a picture of castle floating in a cloud and underneath was written "Walt Disney World, Where Dreams Come True." What a load of tosh.

Inside the folder was a dizzying array of papers, books, pamphlets and God knows what else. I slowly started to flip through everything, trying to make some sense of it, and much to my amazement, it seemed as though everything had already been booked. There was flight information, hotel reservations, admission to the parks, transportation; there was even something for a dining plan so it seemed. Everything was sorted and surprisingly organized.

The first thing I looked at was the travel information. There were boarding passes for a flight from London to New York and then a connection flight from New York to Orlando. I was a bit alarmed by the amount of time that would be spent just on travel. The flight from London to New York was eight hours alone; the connection flight was another three hours and then there was a four hour layover in between. That didn't even include the five hour train ride just to get to London and the time spent waiting in after check-in or getting through security. I quickly added everything together and the total travel time would be…TWENTY TWO HOURS!

My years as vascular surgeon certainly came in handy as I had somehow managed to keep my blood pressure below stroke level. I wasn't one to travel long distances but twenty two hours was really pushing my limits. And this was just the beginning.

In addition to the boarding passes, there were luggage tags, complete with our names and arrival date, as well as the resort name and room number. Why that was necessary, I didn't know, but it did remind me about the hotel. I shuffled through a few more papers until I found the one I was looking for; a reservation at The Contemporary.

There was nothing in the paperwork to indicate what type of hotel it was, so instead, I searched the website to find out. Imagine my surprise when I discovered it was actually quite modern and elegant. The rooms looked clean and spacious and were fitted with top of the line fixtures. I was also very happy to see that teach of the rooms had balconies, which meant we could get fresh air into the room without having the minefield of bacteria from the air conditioning. I had to hand it to Louisa; it was a far cry from the cartoon encrusted hell I was envisioning.

Curiosity got the best of me and I did spend quite a bit of time perusing through the rest of the website. Afterwards, I continued my way through the packet. The rest of it consisted of how-to guide books, guidemaps for each one of the parks, coupons for certain attractions and newsletters for upcoming events.

Despite several hiccups, I couldn't help but notice that Louisa had actually done a rather good job in making sure everything was taken care of. Everything was prearranged and systemized for maximum efficiency. I was impressed. However, there _were_ some things that I didn't necessarily agree with. So, I took it upon myself to change them around and make them more to my liking. I'd learned the hard way to always check with Louisa before making a big decision, but in this case, I didn't think she would mind at all. In fact, she would probably be grateful for what I was about to do.

**XXXX**

Christmas morning had arrived all too quickly. I awoke early to a still darkened bedroom and a quick glance at the clock told me that it was only ten past five. I looked over to the sweet sight that was Louisa curled up next to me, still soundly asleep…snoring lightly. The snoring was one of the things I learned to live with, but it eventually became one of the things I couldn't live without. Go figure. And even after all these years, I still relished in her touch. Her closeness was a comfort that I still found surreal at times, but it only served to intensify my feelings for her more and more as time passed.

I laid awake in bed, enjoying the warmth and comfort all around. It must have been cold outside as there were strong winds that could be heard battering things about. Surprisingly, it only made me curl up deeper under the covers. Before Louisa came along, I never would have stayed in bed for longer than necessary or at least without reason. But now, there were some days where I would be happy if I never had to leave bed again. Some of her bad habits were definitely rubbing off on me, but for once I had no objection.

I also knew full well that soon enough, James would come barreling through with an uncontained excitement to drag both of us out of bed so he could go and open his presents. It had become something he did every year and if I was honest, it was one of the many things I looked forward to. I loved seeing the joy and contentment that was such a normal part of his life, which was in no small part due to Louisa. He was growing up with unconditional love and encouragement and I loved that I was a part of it. Especially now that he was growing up and his years of believing in Father Christmas were dwindling, I wanted to enjoy every minute of it before it was too late.

Sure enough, a little while later James came bounding in yelling "Mum, Dad! Wake Up!" followed by him jumping onto the bed, shaking both me and Louisa awake. I guess I had fallen asleep again because a look at the clock this time told me it was a quarter to eight. "Come on, get out of bed! Father Christmas brought presents!" Just as quickly as he ran in, he was out the door again and running down the stairs.

"I guess that's our cue to get up." Came Louisa's muffled voice; her face still buried in her pillow.

"I think so. You know if we don't get up, he'll only come back to get us."

"Yeah, you're right about that." she said, finally looking up from her pillow. "Merry Christmas!" She reached over and gave me a peck on the cheek.

"Merry Christmas to you too." I responded, but I surprised her with a full-on kiss on the lips. Things could have very easily gotten carried away, but our moment was short lived however, as we could hear James yelling from downstairs "Are you coming?"

We made our way downstairs only to find James sitting on the floor, surrounded by gifts, with his arms folded and a scowl on his face. "Finally! What took you so long?" We offered each other a knowing look but said nothing, but at that point James couldn't have cared less. He just wanted to open his gifts.

Louisa grabbed the camera and went to sit next to James while I put the kettle on and made myself a cup of coffee. James wasted no time and as quick as a flash, he started tearing into one gift after another, starting with the ones from Father Christmas. The first one was, of course, the biggest. It was a big, bright yellow, radio control Hummer; the one he had been asking for for months. James had become so obsessed with it already, that he had almost forgotten about his other gifts, but it wasn't long before he remembered. He then opened a racetrack set, several different action figures and a build-your-own robot kit. Father Christmas seemed to have thought he was exceptionally good this year as he had gotten and iPod touch and PSP with a few games to go with it as well. The only reason I knew what those two things were was because the sales person at the store helped me pick them out.

By the time went and sat down with them, he had already opened all his gifts from Father Christmas. All in all, he seemed to like everything.

Next were the ones from me and Louisa. Louisa had decided that all the gifts from 'Mum and Dad' would have a Disney theme to them, so she had gotten him all sorts of Disney paraphernalia. None of them however specifically hinted that we were going to Disney World. The first one he opened was some sort of plush stuffed animal with a huge snout, big eyes and little green hat. It had long black ears that hung down from each side. It seemed like a stuffed animal but I couldn't understand why Louisa would buy just a head without the body. What a stupid waste of money that would be. "Hey, it's Goofy!" James yelled out. At least he thought it was stupid too. But I then figured out that Goofy was its name. Must have taken a stroke of genius to come up with that.

James however seemed to know exactly what to do with it and put it on right away. Turns out it was a hat. As soon as he put it on, he started shaking his head back and forth trying to get the ears to flap around. Eventually I had to tell him to stop shaking his head otherwise he would end up hurting himself, but after I told him, he just stared at me. He looked absolutely ridiculous, but even I had to admit, the big smile and silly look on his face made me smirk.

He then returned to his pile of presents and continued on. Some of the other gifts included t-shirts with different Disney characters on them, a few small stuffed animals, a stack of movies and some books.

Obviously, he had heard about Roger Fenn taking his kids to Disneyland and he heard about how much fun they 'allegedly' had, so the seed had been planted in his mind months ago. It took him a few minutes to realize that there seemed to be a theme to all of his presents but his inquisitive little mind immediately started putting all the pieces together.

"Are we going somewhere?" he asked carefully. The look on his face was somewhere between skepticism and hopefulness, but I was certain he had already figured it out.

"Well, why don't you tell me?" Louisa said casually as she handed him a small little box. James tore into it and pulled out a small book. On the cover was written 'Walt Disney World Autograph Book' and on the inside cover, Louisa had put a note of her own saying 'use this book to get Mickey Mouse's autograph when we're in Disney World.' A look of surprise came over his face and he kept looking back a forth between me and Louisa, trying to make sure that we weren't playing some kind of dirty trick on him. As soon as Louisa gave him the nod that it was true, our normally quiet and shy little son became so excited that he nearly plastered himself to the ceiling. Louisa, of course, had gotten it all on camera.

He started jumping up and down, running laps around the sofa, yelling things "We're going to Disney World!" and "I'm so excited!" but most of it was un-intelligible due to his complete lack of control. It was a side of him I had never seen before. But seeing the happiness and excitement on his face and seeing Louisa just as excited and laughing along with him almost made me think that maybe, just maybe, this trip would be worth it.

But all of sudden, he stopped, and with the most serious look on his face, he turned to me and asked "Daddy, are you coming too?"

I was puzzled. Where did he think I was going? "Yes of course I'm coming."

His eyes nearly bugged out of his head and I noticed Louisa trying to stifle another fit of the giggles at both of our reactions.

"Really?" he asked. The boy was well and truly shocked. "But you don't like doing anything fun?"

Louisa could contain herself and had now erupted into laughter. "Oh Martin, he knows you all too well."

"So wait, you're really coming?" he asked again but this time with more excitement.

"Yes, I'm coming. The point is for you to have fun, not me. And I'm sure I can find something there that's to my liking. At least your mother seems to think so."

"So we're _all _going to Disney World?" His excitement was creeping back with a vengeance and soon enough he was back out of control.

"My God, Louisa, If he's like this now, what's he going to be like when he gets there?"

"Oh relax, he's just excited. This is a big deal for him."

"Yes, well, I still don't understand what's to be so excited about. What person in their sane mind would want a holiday in Disney World? They'd have to be absolutely barking mad." As I said this, I got up to get myself another cup of coffee but as I walked to the kitchen, I got a pillow to the back of the head.

"Martin Ellingham, you mark my words, you're going to have the time of your life! In fact, I'll personally see to it myself." She looked at me with a wicked grin. "Just consider it a gift from me to you!"

"Hmm…I'd rather have the stocking full of coal."

_To be continued…_

**Author's Note – Chapter 4 won't be posted until the first week of March. But after that, I should be back on track…hopefully. I may even start posting a new story as well, but we'll see how it goes. (Overzealous, I know.) ;) **

**Also, please note that reviews are ALWAYS appreciated, however I won't be able to respond to any until the week after next. But I **_**will**_** respond upon my return. Once again, I thank you for your patience! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 – Up, Up and Away**

Well, the news was out. James pretty much told everyone he came into contact with as we were making our way out of the church after Christmas services. It seemed like half of Portwenn was congregated outside wishing each other a Merry Christmas, asking all the children what sort of presents they had received and of course catching up on the latest round of gossip. James Henry was no exception and every time he was asked, he freely volunteered all the details he could, which meant that it took all of…five minutes for the _entire_ village to hear that Martin and I were taking him to Disney World.

The funny part, well for me anyway, was that not only was James running around telling everyone he was going to Disney, but he was also emphasizing the point the Martin was coming too. I couldn't help but laugh every time I pictured two versions of the same face staring at me with eyes wide and mouths slightly hanging open; each one shocked and confused as to what the other was saying. It was definitely a 'like father, like son' kind of moment. Fortunately, I snapped a picture of it. You can guarantee that it will be the first picture in the album.

It was no surprise that Martin was his usual charming and friendly self every time someone made a comment. He practically bit their heads off telling them that it was none of their business, but after a while he just seemed to ignore them. Although I was a little confused as to why everyone was saying things like "Oh, so it _is_ true then" or "Nice try Doc, you had us going for a while." I don't know what they meant by it, but it was obvious that they had some knowledge or inkling of our impending trip.

What a surprise.

After we left behind a whirlwind of gossip for the villagers at the church we made our way over to Ruth's for dinner. It would probably do Martin some good to get away from all the gossiping, or in his case, sniggering, and judging by the sourer than usual look on his face, I could tell that he'd had his fill for the day. No doubt he would be getting the long end of it from his patients for the next few weeks.

There were times that I felt a bit guilty for persuading him into a trip like this. I certainly knew that this was not the kind of thing he enjoys; in all honesty, it was actually the kind of thing he hated. But somehow I knew deep down that it wouldn't be as bad as he was expecting it to be. We were going to be four thousand miles away from the prying eyes and loose lips of everyone in Portwenn and at the same time we would be able to give James Henry the trip of a lifetime.

As much as Martin was gruff, rude and ill-mannered with everyone he came into contact with, he was the complete opposite with me and James, although in his own way. He was always loving and attentive and always willing to do whatever it took to make both of us happy.

What I loved most though was seeing the bond that he had with James. It's funny how each parent has a different way of bonding with their child. If ever you wanted to see unguarded compassion and patience, it was whenever the two of them were together. Martin was always there to explain things to him or shown him how to do things. Other times they just liked being together. Sometimes they would sit next to each other; James reading a book and Martin reading a medical journal. Each other's company was all they needed. There was a level of trust and comfort they shared; something that I never would have envisioned.

A big step came just the other night in fact, when Martin let James help him when he was working on one of his clocks. They sat at the kitchen table and for a few hours, they quietly worked together. By the end of the night, they shared each other's excitement when they were able to get the clock working. For a man who came so close to throwing it all away, he has certainly more than made up for himself over the years, and I'm grateful to him for that. His agreeing to this trip was just another example of his dedication and it was the least I could to try and make it as bearable for him as possible.

**XXXX**

With a little over one week to go, there was still much that needed to be done. Martin had arranged for a locum to fill in for the time we would be away but he still had to inform Morwenna of how he wanted things to be done. Luckily for me, it was half term next week, but seeing as I would be missing a few days the following week, I had to arrange for some of the other teachers to take my place. I also had to talk with James' teacher to make sure that he would be all caught up with his work when we come back.

Packing was also proving to be a bit of a challenge. I had already started putting some things together, but it was more time consuming than I had expected, considering the fact that I had to dig out all of our summer clothes from wherever it was that we crammed them at the end of the season. However the biggest challenge of this trip, I had yet to tackle. I guess now was as good a time as any.

"Martin, what do you say we do some shopping this weekend? I have to take James to get some new clothes as he seems to have grown of most of his summer ones, so I thought maybe you could come along and get few outfits yourself."

"Well I'll come with you if you like, but I don't need any clothes myself."

"So what are you going to wear then?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, unless you're going to wear your pajamas everywhere you go, you don't exactly have any casual clothes."

"Why do I need casual clothes? I plan on wearing what I normally wear."

"…your suits?" I stated flatly.

"Yes." he replied very matter-of-factly.

"Martin, you can't wear your suits."

"Why not? What's wrong with that?"

"Well first of all, you're going to look ridiculous walking around in a suit when everyone else is just wearing shorts and a t-shirt. Second of all, the temperature is going to be in the eighties for the whole nine days were going to be there. If you're not giving yourself heat stroke, you'll be sweating through three or four suits a day. And even you don't have that many suits."

"Louisa, first of all, I don't care about other people and second, I would recognize the signs of heat stroke. Besides, it can't possibly be that warm in February."

"Yes, it can. And there, you said it yourself; you don't care what other people think. So you should have no problem walking around without wearing a suit."

"But suits are just what I wear. They're what I've always worn. I really don't see the point in changing that now."

"Martin, trust me. You'll be much more confortable wearing clothes that us normal people wear and plus, no one who sees you will care. You'll be thousands of miles away from everyone who knows you, except for us."

As he stared at me, I could tell the wheels were turning in his head. He couldn't argue that I was wrong, but he was still trying his best to come up with a sharp reply.

"So will you come shopping with us then?"

After a moment of silence, he finally let out a long sigh and quietly muttered "Fine."

Triumph!

"And who knows? Maybe we can even get you into a swimsuit?" I said with a smile.

"Oh, now you're being ridiculous!"

**XXXX**

The day had arrived, or should I say night. Since our plane left at two the next day, Martin had suggested we take the overnight train to London instead of going up the morning of our flight, in order for us to make it to the airport on time. Even though it added a lot more travel time, I had to admit, it allowed time for possible delays and it would be much better if we didn't have to rush.

Everything was packed up and ready to go, yet we were still running around trying to finish up all the last minute details before we left. We packed several carry-ons with all the usual items and James had a backpack of his own which had his video games, iPod, some books and a change of clothes as well.

Knowing we had quite a journey ahead, James and I dressed rather comfortably, but Martin insisted on wearing his usual suit and tie; making it abundantly clear that his new purchases would stay firmly in the suitcase until we were _at least_ a thousand miles away from Portwenn.

Our train was due to leave at ten thirty and Ruth was coming at around nine to drive us. Luckily since we were leaving late at night, we would be much more able to sneak out of the village without being bombarded by people, which undoubtedly made Martin happy.

Ruth dropped us off at the station and bid us farewell. She told us all to have a good time; especially Martin as she gave him a knowing smirk. She then came over to me and whispered that she wanted to see lots of pictures, to which I assured her I would take plenty.

After Ruth left, we checked in, handed over our luggage and boarded the train. It was way past James Henry's bed time and now he was becoming tired to the point of restlessness. We weren't even on the train fifteen minutes before he fell asleep.

The ride was uneventful and both Martin and I were able to get a few hours' sleep. James slept the whole way and was flabbergasted when we woke him up the next morning after we arrived in London. The train arrived at five thirty, which gave us plenty of time to take a connecting train from Paddington station directly to the airport terminal.

We arrived at the airport and fortunately we were able to check our luggage in early and get them off our hands, which was one less thing we had to worry about. There were still several hours to go and James was getting hungry, so we went off and enjoyed a nice leisurely breakfast before things would become undoubtedly chaotic later on.

After breakfast, we thought it best to make our way through security, as the lines seemed relatively short. The whole process took about fifteen minutes and surprisingly Martin didn't even complain that he had to take his shoes off.

Once we were past security, there wasn't much we could do. We spent quite a bit of time browsing through the many shops that lined the terminal. There was Harrod's of course, which was the biggest, but there were many other upscale "everyone looks but no one buys" stores like Bulgari, Prada and Gucci. The rest were all little shops that sold sundries, snacks and accessories.

With an hour to go, we made our way to the gate and were lucky enough to find some seats up front near the window. James stared out at the busy traffic of planes taking off, landing or just passing by. It was the first time he had seen anything of this nature up close and personal, and he was happily in a quiet world of his own.

Half an hour later, we were distracted by James yelling out, "Wow, is that the plane we're going on?" I looked out the window in his direction and noticed a massive British Airways plane was slowly pulling up to the empty gate. It seemed our chariot had arrived.

"It's enormous!" he added. The excitement in his voice was undeniable.

A short time later, after everyone had disembarked, it was our turn to board. We got in line and slowly made our way onto the plane and found our seats, which fortunately were window seats and it meant we had the row to ourselves. James immediately sat in the seat closest to the window, I got the middle and Martin got the aisle seat.

I was a bit nervous as to how Martin would endure an eight and half hour flight with seats in economy. It was tight and uncomfortable for an average size person, but for a person of his stature, it had to be terribly uncomfortable. When making the reservations, I tried to book business class per Martin's recommendation, but they were overbooked. I knew he wouldn't be happy about it, but for now he would have to make due.

We sat waiting patiently as, one by one, each person shoved their carry-on's in the overhead bins and found their seat. Soon the doors were closed and we were ready to go. I looked over and noticed James had a slightly nervous smile on his face.

"Are you excited James?" I asked.

He looked up at me and just nodded his head, still with a smile.

"A bit nervous?"

He hesitated for a second, but then quietly said "Maybe a little."

Before I had a chance to respond, Martin was already reassuring him. "There's nothing to worry about James. Flying is actually the safest form of travel. You're more likely to die from a bee sting than you are a plane crash."

It may not have been exactly how I would have worded it, but it seemed to satisfy James. He shrugged his shoulders and went back to looking out the window.

As the plane was starting to push back from the gate, there came the realization that there was no turning back now. We were off to America whether we wanted to or not. It was a bit nerve wracking, but oddly liberating at the same time.

We taxied out to the runway as the flight attendants went through all the safety information and watched as one plane after another took off in front of us. Finally it was our turn. The plane turned onto the runway and with the pilot's confirmation, we were "ready for takeoff." Immediately, the loud roar of the engines powering up created a tense moment as everyone on board prepared themselves with either anticipation and excitement or panic and anxiety.

Judging by the look on James' face, he had gotten over his anxiety pretty quickly and was now giggling with excitement. Martin had the usual stoic look on his face that renders itself unreadable, but somehow it seemed a bit softer than usual.

We were quickly pinned to our seats as the plane rapidly accelerated in its effort to gain speed. It was rocking a little more than I would have liked it to as it barreled down the runway and looking out the window, it seemed like it was taking an eternity for this behemoth to get itself off the ground.

Just as it seemed there was no runway left, a sharp tilt upward propelled us even further into our seats as well as the sky above. With the oddly weightless feeling in the pit of my stomach and the popping in my ears, one thing was for certain…we were on our way.

_To be continued…_

As usual, reviews always appreciated! :) And forgive me if I haven't been reviewing all of yours stories as well. I've missed three weeks of Fanfic, so lots of catching up to do!


	5. Chapter 5

_I'm back. Sorry for taking so long. It's the end of yet another college semester and you can imagine my reading material lately has been anything but fanfic. But I promise once finals are over, these chapters will move much faster, so bear with me._

**Chapter 5 - ****It's Not Such a Small World After All**

As smoothly as things may have started out, I should have known that with Martin in tow, it wouldn't last long.

Much to my own surprise, we had made it roughly half way through the flight without incident. James was excited that he had his own little TV that he could watch, so he kept himself entertained by watching one movie after another. I was just incredibly relieved that he got to watch Alvin and the Chipmunks and I didn't have to listen to it as well.

I myself was quite happy to catch up on some of those really girly romantic-comedy movies that I rarely get to watch at home, mostly because Martin always complains about them. He claims they're nothing but a distorted and vain attempt to make women believe that that's how true love really works.

He could be such a man sometimes. Obviously, he has never actually seen one of these movies, because little does he know that our very own, real-life relationship over the years would probably qualify as a box office hit.

But, fortunately, I didn't have to worry about him this time. He kept himself quiet by reading his medical journals and a book on something to do with infectious diseases. Some of the pictures looked disgusting, but they seemed to fascinate Martin nonetheless.

So far things had gone smoothly and at that point I could only hope that the rest of the flight would continue that way.

But it didn't.

The trouble started when they began to serve dinner. Martin has always been very finicky when it comes to eating properly, and being the doctor that he is, only foods of the highest nutritional value are acceptable and nothing less.

Now it should be no surprise to anyone that airplane food doesn't exactly have the reputation of being fine dining. In reality, either you can tolerate it or you absolutely despise it. In this case, much to the chagrin of the flight attendants, it was the latter. Let's just say that Martin made some less than appropriate comments as to whether or not the food was in fact food, and also whether it was actually fit for human consumption.

James found it amusing but I was mortified, mostly because I had a feeling that this little tirade of his was just the beginning.

After an eventful dinner, James went back to minding his own business and pulled a book out of his bag and started reading. Martin on the other hand, was becoming restless and looked visibly uncomfortable. Every now and again, he would get up to stretch his legs and move around a bit, but after so many times of doing it, he started to irritate the people sitting around us.

I tried to convince him to maybe sit down and try to sleep for a while, but he was adamant that he was too fidgety to sleep. So instead he tried to diagnose the ailments of several flight attendants and the people in the row next to us. Out of the five people he approached, only one was grateful for his observations.

Finally, he had no choice but to buckle up and stay seated when we encountered a stretch of turbulence. But even then Martin found something to argue about. The person sitting in front of him had reclined his seat all the way back which apparently was a violation of Martin's personal space. After a few choice words were exchanged between the two, I decided the best solution was simply to have Martin switch seats with me.

There were only a couple hours left and in an effort to get Martin to just sit down and shut up, I had to think quickly. In a desperate attempt, I put on an episode of _HOUSE _for him to watch. I was skeptical as to whether he would like it at first, but I didn't care, something had to be done.

I was so bloody relieved, however, when it actually started to pique his interest and he continued to watch quietly. Finally.

It was like trying to calm a crying baby or get a little toddler to sit down and listen. But the whole time Martin was driving me crazy, James was ever the little gentleman. He sat quietly. He read his books or played his video games. If he needed or wanted anything, he was polite is asking and not once did I have to reprimand him.

Sometimes I really question who the child was and who the adult was.

**XXXX**

We had finally begun our descent and New York City was now clearly visible in the distance.

"Look, that's the Empire State Building!" James yelled.

"Yes, it is. That's very good. Did you learn about that in school?" Martin asked.

James didn't turn his head from the window, but casually replied "No, I saw it in a movie."

"Oh? What movie?"

"King Kong."

"King Kong? Since when have you see that?" I jumped in.

"I don't know. It was on the telly one day."

"Martin, did you let him watch that?"

"Well how was I supposed to know? He told me it was educational."

"Educational? ..."

Over the years, it never ceased to amaze how a man could be so extraordinarily intelligent and yet at the same time, so incredibly clueless. One of nature's mysteries I suppose, but it was one I didn't have the energy to deal with. I'd save this argument for later.

James continued to watch in amazement as the plane got closer to the New York City skyline. It was nearly dark out and the tall skyscrapers were all brightly lit, donning their night time façades. From up above however, the setting sun was still visible and the sky was still a bright orange. It was a beautiful backdrop to a famously spectacular sight.

The plane touched down with a bit of a bump but it went completely unnoticed by both Martin and James. They were both itching to get off the plane as soon as possible but both for very different reasons.

As soon as the plane came to a stop at the gate, it quickly turned into a mad dash of people all trying to get their bags from the overhead bins; everyone nearly knocking each other out in the process so they could rush to be the first ones off.

Despite our own eagerness, the frenzy of people prompted us to wait a few minutes until the crowd had somewhat cleared, making it much easier for us to grab our things and go.

After a long, tiring and eventful flight, there was an overwhelming sense of relief for all of us to finally be off the plane, but we weren't quite finished yet. We had a long layover and another flight ahead of us but at least it would be a welcome break before we had to get back on another plane.

Over an hour of our layover however, was spent just getting through passport control, customs and then security. It was a slow process, but it moved along steadily.

Once we finally cleared security, we moved from the international terminal to the domestic and made our way to the gate. While we waited, we grabbed a bite to eat and walked through some of the shops.

Fatigue was definitely setting in. I knew James would fall asleep as soon as he sat down but I was really hoping that Martin would do the same.

Eventually, we boarded our connecting flight and this time it felt we were finally sprinting to the finish line…well, more like limping really.

**XXXX**

_**Ladies and gentlemen, the pilot has turned on the seatbelt lights and we ask that you please take your seats and fasten your seatbelts as we prepare for departure.**_

We were ready. I was ready. Ready for this plane to get moving, ready to get off the plane and ready for an actual bed to sleep in.

While we were waiting, James Henry was playing on his iPod and Martin was looking at a sky mall catalog, but all you had to do was look at the two them to know that they could barely keep their eyes open…Thank goodness.

_**As we taxi out to the runway, we ask for your undivided attention for a few minutes as we go through the safety briefing. For all you simple people, that means shut up and pay attention because this is important. **_

With that remark, the flight attendant had certainly gotten everyone's attention. There were a few gasps but mostly chuckles all around. Even I was a bit taken aback at first, but seeing as the majority of people were laughing, I had a feeling that it wasn't just a case of bad manners. However if Martin had looked up any quicker, I'm pretty sure his head would have snapped right off his shoulders. In a rare coincidence, he seemed to have found someone who communicated on his level.

_**If you have an iPhone, iPod, iPad we're impressed, but you must still turn them off now. That is spelled O- F- F - look it up in the dictionary, but don't Google it now.**_

_**If you do not turn them off now and continue to play, text and talk we may have to return to the gate where the FAA will personally fine you $25,000. If you have that kind of money to spend you would have flown Delta.**_

As I looked around, I noticed James was quickly turning his iPod off and shoving it in his backpack. I'd have to remember that little trick for when he doesn't turn it off at home; threat to start charging money.

_**To fasten your seatbelt, slide the flat end into the buckle; to release it, lift up on the buckle. They are like any other seatbelt, and if you don't know how to use one, you probably shouldn't be in public unsupervised. **_

_**If you don't like our service, the flight gets too long or if the person next you drives you crazy, there are six emergency exits on board; two forward exits, two over-wing exits and two rear exits. Signs overhead and lights on the floor lead to those exits. **_

_**In your seatback pocket, there is a multi-colored safety information card, please read this carefully as a written exam will be given during the flight.**_

"There's going to be an exam?" James asked, clearly panicked by this notion.

"No, there's not going to be an exam. He's just joking." I reassured him.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Besides, you'll have plenty to take when you're back in school." I laughed.

He glared at me with a furrowed his brow, "Mum, that's not funny."

I could help but smirk. He was definitely his father's child at times, and in more ways than one.

_**In the event this flight should turn into a cruise, please grab the beautiful yellow life jacket that is located under your butts. Place the life jacket over your head and pull down on the straps, cross them around your own lovely body and buckle them in front. Yeah you're looking hot already. Once outside the aircraft, inflate the vest by pulling down on the little red tab in front. Please remember in the event of an emergency, these life vests are property of the airline and should be returned at your earliest convenience.**_

_**Our flight attendant Susan will be passing through the cabin to ensure your seatbelts are buckled, your shoes match your outfits, and your seatback and tray tables are raised to their most uncomfortable, full upright lock position. Please ensure that all carry-ons are stored in the overhead compartments or pushed, shoved, crammed, or jammed all the way under the seat in front of you, leaving the area around your feet clear.**_

_**This is again a non-whining…non-complaining…non-smoking flight. Smoking is never permitted on board an aircraft, but if your urges become too strong, there is a designated smoking section on the wing. If you can light it, you can smoke it.**_

Next to me, Martin kept fidgeting. I was confident that he was thoroughly irritated by now, but upon further inspection… well, I couldn't believe my eyes…

"Martin? Wha..is that…is that a smile?" I dared to ask through a smile of my own.

"What?" he asked. I had clearly caught him off guard.

"You're smiling!"

"Who, me?"

"Yes, you!"

"Oh…I suppose…I don't know. I quite like him."

_**Although we never expect a change in cabin pressure, should one unexpectedly occur, and I said unexpected otherwise we would have called in sick today, little yellow margarine cups would drop down from the ceiling. When that happens, immediately stop screaming, let go of your neighbor and pull down on the mask until the plastic tubing is fully extended. Please then insert one quarter for every minute of oxygen. Place the mask over your face and secure it using the elastic strap. If you're traveling with anyone needing special assistance; a child, untrained husband, anyone not paying to us right now, make sure to secure your own mask first before helping them.**_

_**If the cabin fills with smoke, make your way to the nearest designated exit following the lighting on the floor. If a crew member approaches you naked, please just ignore them.**_

_**The cabin lights will be dimmed; please don't take advantage of the situation. Should you require light simply press the button on the panel above your head with the picture of a light to turn it on. Pressing the button next to it with the picture of a flight attendant will not turn the flight attendant on.**_

_**That's it for the do's and don'ts. Sit back, relax, or lean forward all twisted - up the choice is really yours. We are scheduled for a leisurely 3 hour 10 min flight all the way gate to gate from here down to the House of Mouse in Orlando, Florida. Welcome aboard. **_

Everyone's laughter soon erupted into cheers and applause, myself and James included. But our contentment soon turned into shock and our mouths nearly hit the floor when we saw Martin smiling and applauding along with everyone else.

The plane by now had turned onto the runway but we were still too shocked and distracted and didn't notice until we were pinned to our seats as the plane took off. Soon enough we were in the air and finally, it felt like we were reaching the end of this incredibly long and tiring journey.

We were all exhausted and we wanted nothing more than an actual bed to sleep in, but I was still excited. This was our first trip together as a family and I knew the memories we would take from it would be priceless. However, for the first time this trip, I had a strange feeling that there were going to be quite a few surprises in store. I just didn't know what.

_To be continued… __**  
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**Don't be shy - drop a comment in the box. Reviews are always appreciated :) **


	6. Chapter 6

_Hello?...Anyone still out there?...Yeah probably not, but who can blame you. If you are...air-hug! I'm blushing rosy cheeks of shame for being away for so long. Trust me when I tell you that I had absolutely no intention of letting this story go for that long, and I would never just abandon it. That would be horrible. Besides, the doc is still on that plane. Can you imagine how pissed he would be? _

_I won't give you a long excuse as to why I've been gone, because I'm pretty certain that none of you actually give a damn. You just want to read a story…_

_But before we get to that…to the many guests who have left reviews in my absence, I thank you and they are truly appreciated. And a big thanks to many of you who have sent emails, messages, tweets etc. asking where the heck I am. It's nice to be loved…or just minimally liked._

_And a special shout out to Peggy Allen…I can't respond to your guest reviews, but if you're reading this, know you have been quite essential in getting my muse out of hiding. Your first review caused me to brush off the six inches of dust that have piled on to this story, but final exams and a research paper on auditory brainstem implants (riveting stuff huh?) forced me to put it aside for a little while longer. Your second review did the trick. Thanks. ;) _

_p.s. – In your review you mentioned Martin Clunes' "A Dog's Life", I will definitely check it out. I've actually been watching "A Man and His Dogs" quite a bit on the Smithsonian channel. I love it.)_

_So here it is…finally. Feel free to go back a few chapters and refresh yourself…I had to. (Insert facepalm here.)_

**Chapter 6 – Peter's Pan's Flight is out of Pixie Dust**

"For crying out loud, control your child! That's the fourth time he has kicked the back of my seat in under a minute and about the hundredth time in last twenty minutes!"

"Martin!" Louisa gave me a look that could kill, but what on earth did she expect me to do? The bloody child was out of control.

"No, no I'm sorry. He's excited, but he's also extremely overtired. I'm just waiting for him to crash." The woman behind me claimed.

"I don't care what your excuse is! Make him stop!"

"Martin, stop arguing! Just change seats with me."

"Louisa, I'm not going to change my seat…which has been fine for the last two and a half hours," I glared at the woman behind me "when there are in fact only twenty minutes left of the flight. If this woman had…"

"Martin, stop! You're causing a scene and you're waking everyone else up. If changing seats is the only way to get you quiet, then that's what we're doing, now get up."

"Louisa, no!"

"UP!"

I heaved a big sigh. There are times when Louisa could be begrudgingly stubborn. Apparently this was one of them. "….Fine!"

After a few dirty looks from others and a couple of 'don't you dare' looks from Louisa, we finally managed to shift seats, with James Henry in between us. He had fallen asleep not twenty minutes after the plane took off, which was both a good thing and a bad thing. If he slept now, we ran the risk of him not sleeping through the night, and that was something I was not about to deal with.

But exhaustion won out; he fell asleep and Louisa and I let him sleep. Coping with the time change would be difficult enough, so quite frankly any sleep we could get would be welcome.

I had fallen asleep for about an hour until that obnoxious child had begun kicking the back of my seat. I woke up to find Louisa reading a book and James sleeping in the most disturbing position possible. Surely a spine is not meant to contort like that, but of course my son would find a way.

I tried to keep a look of irritation on my face, but Louisa's seat was actually quite comfortable. If had known her seat was so much better than mine I would have made a scene a long time ago.

_**Ladies and gentlemen, we ask that you please park your butts in a chair and strap'em in as we begin our descent. Also, please turn off all electronic devices that technically should still be off, but really you turned back on because you thought we wouldn't notice. **_

_**The Cabin Crew will shortly come by to collect any trash items you may have. Ladies - this does not include husbands, boyfriends, or unwanted children.**_

I still don't understand…when I speak like that, I'm considered rude and offensive but when others do it, it's funny. Maybe it's an American thing? If that's the case, it might not be so bad here after all.

The next twenty minutes went by relatively quickly, which was a fortunate for thing for everyone. Getting into bed was the only thing on my mind. I don't even care how clean it may or may not be. My kingdom for a bed…why did I just say that and where the hell did it come from? It makes absolutely no logical sense. My exhaustion was clearly getting the better of me. Obviously my days as a surgeon when sleeping for an hour or two every few days were long gone.

Several 'wow's' and 'ooh's and 'ahh's' prompted me to look out the window as we began to get lower. Bright lights were visible in the night sky seemingly creating patterns. Some made up the faces of cartoon characters while others spelled out odd names, however the words _Walt Disney World_ were clearly written out.

Oh God, it was the first outwardly visible sign of the inevitable torture that was ahead. But if it had to make a first impression, I suppose it could be considered somewhat impressive.

The detail was rather intricate…And we were about a thousand miles up in the air. Huh, either way I'm sure it's the only thing I'll find impressive.

The plane finally touched down with a big bump but I didn't care, I was just happy the bloody thing was finally on the ground.

_**Welcome to Orlando Florida. For those that Orlando is your final destination we welcome you, for those transferring to another airline - we don't care. But while you're still in our possession, we ask that you remain in your seats until this bad boy comes to a complete stop. And yes, that goes for you too Mr. dude-in-the-red-shirt-who-thinks-he-can-jog-from-h ere-to-the-gate.**_

There's always an idiot.

_**Now that the aircraft has come to a stop at the gate, we'd like to thank you folks for flying with us today. And, the next time you get the insane urge to go blasting through the skies in a pressurized metal tube, we hope you'll think of us… but for now - get out.**_

Why all people can't be straight forward and logical like that is something I will never understand, but for once I'm glad that someone was willing to break the rules of social niceties. They're just a bloody waste of time anyway.

As soon as the plane stopped at the gate, it became like a herd of buffoons gathering their luggage and all sprinting to be the first ones off. How the people in the last row thought they would be the first ones off leaves me questioning their state of mind.

Fortunately, Louisa was thinking the same thing I was and we decided to wait until the majority of imbeciles that were bottlenecking in the center aisle were gone, leaving us with some room to move.

As I began to gather up our things, Louisa had the task of trying to wake up James Henry, who looked to be about fifty pounds of dead weight.

"James…James, wake up." Louisa continued nudging him but all to no avail. "James, we're here. Come on, let's go see Mickey. "

With the mention of that stupid mouse, James sat up from the awkward position he was still sleeping in, with the bleariest sleep-face that you would normally find on a drunk. "Whuh...where's Mickey?"

"He's waiting for us, but you have to get up, so we can get off the plane and go see him." Louisa said.

Still groggy and slurring his words, James stated rather matter-of-factly "Well I'm awake now, so let's go." Louisa gave me a little smirk and I couldn't help but give her one back. Our son had many distinguishing characteristics, in which he was truly the perfect blend between Louisa and me, but without a doubt, the logic and rationality he got from me, and that was something that everyone seemed to know.

I grabbed most of our bags, Louisa grabbed her own bag and James Henry put his knapsack on as well as his Goofy hat, and with a newfound spring in his step, the three of us made our way off the plane.

Arriving inside the airport terminal, I was happy to see that is was relatively quiet. It was too late at night and I was too tired to deal with hoards of people.

"Okay, so we are Airside 4" Louisa spoke while looking at an airport map in her hands and walking at the same time, "now we just need to take the tram to terminal B in the main terminal, and go down to level 1. Apparently there we will find the '_Disney's Magical Express_ Welcome Center.'"

"What about all our luggage? Where do we get that?" I asked.

"Well since it's just before 10:00 pm, all of our luggage will be delivered to our hotel room upon our arrival."

"Oh right. Well that's good." And it was. Damn, I was impressed again. These people seem to think of every little detail. Sure, it was a good thing, but I was nowhere near ready to admit it just yet.

"Right, let's go then. James, hold one of your mother's hand and one of mine." Since waking up, James Henry was very quiet but incredibly alert, taking in everything around him, and often times wandering a little too far off. The last thing I wanted to deal with was a missing seven year old. He was still fighting the exhaustion, but I was at least happy to see that his inquisitive mind was taking everything in stride.

We walked to the end of the terminal where there were crowds of people waiting to get on one of the two trams that would bring us to the main terminal.

"Whoa, do we get to ride on that?" James asked with big eyes as one of the trams sped off.

"Yes, but we have to be patient." I said to him. "Louisa, I'd prefer to wait for that one that just left. This one here is already too full."

"That's fine with me. At least we'll be the first people on."

It was about five minutes before the tram returned with only slightly fewer people on it than before. Once everyone was off, we were the first to get on along with another couple dozen people. A few minutes later the tram sped off which elicited a loud "cool" and a giggle from James Henry.

Arriving in the main terminal, we were greeted by a massive atrium with an expansive glass ceiling that harbored a large fountain in the center and dozens of palm trees surrounding it. On the main level were check-in counters and waiting areas as well as the trams that connected four airside terminals to the main terminal; the level above was open to the atrium and contained all types of shops, restaurants and lounges; and on the four levels above that were balconies on all four sides overlooking the atrium which apparently belonged to the _Hyatt Regency_. Overall impression…not bad.

"Wow, look at the palm trees!" James said loudly. However he really started jumping when we came across the _Disney Earport_ store…_Earport_?...Oh, I get it. How stupidly clever.

"Mum! Mum! Can we go in there, pleeeeaase? Look they have Goofy hats just like mine! Pleeeease can we go in?"

Louisa was about to respond, but I quickly jumped in before she gave in. "James, we have ten whole days to buy all kinds of ridiculous paraphernalia that is no doubt ridiculously overpriced and…"

"Martin."

I looked up to find Louisa giving me a deadpan look. "What?"

"Get to the point…preferably one that would appease a seven year old."

"Right…well, anyway, we have plenty of time and besides, we don't want to miss our ride to the hotel. Now come on, you must be a bit tired?"

"Nope. I'm awake, see? " Ironically enough, his response was followed by a yawn.

"Are you sure about that?" I asked.

"Yep."

"Oh, I see. Well come along anyway. You might not be tired but your mother and I are. Come, take my hand."

We made our way down to level one and followed the signs to Disney's welcome center. It was eerily quiet with only a few people milling about here and there, but it was oddly calming as well. When we arrived there were two lines in which people were already queuing up. One was for the cruise line, the other for the resorts. As soon as we got into the appropriate line, an unusually cheerful young woman came over to greet us.

"Welcome everyone to _Disney's Magical Express!_ We hope you enjoyed your flight!" After several niceties like 'is this your first time here?' 'where are you from?' 'how old is James?' 'are you excited?'…the usual pedantic sort of thing no one has time for…the staff finally started to move things along.

"We ask that every group here has their Magical Express booklet out, ready and waiting, so that we may scan the barcode as well as check your return flight information. Please also tell us the number of luggage that currently have Disney tags on them. Once everything has been checked, you are free to board the _Magical Express _which will depart for the resorts once everyone is onboard.

10:00 at night and they're all so bloody chipper. Just check the blasted book so I can go and get some sleep.

Finally we were given the all clear to make our way out to the magic carpet ride or whatever the hell it was called and I couldn't have been more relieved. When I looked at the time, I was shocked to discover that only twenty minutes had passed from the time we got off the plane to now. It certainly didn't feel like it.

The three of us walked out and as soon as the automatic doors slid open, we got our first real taste of the Florida weather like a slap in the face…warm and muggy. It was the dead of winter and yet it still felt like the inside of an oven and the humidity was oppressive. If it was like this now, I didn't even want to fathom what it would be like during the day when the sun was up, or even worse, what it would be like for the duration of our stay.

Bloody hell. This was going to turn out just how I envisioned it would.

Nothing but disaster.

**I've been gone for so long, so I feel as though I can't beg for reviews, but if you feel so inclined, I won't argue. Also if you want to yell at me a little for taking so long, I'll allow it…but if you can, yell with a smile :)**


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